That’s not all: this new Competition Package is more… competitiony. Springs and dampers have been upgraded, as have anti-roll bars. The electronically controlled limited-slip M-differential gets its own ECU, the stability control programme has its own tune, as does the steering, while there’s an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system.

When I say the suspension is ‘upgraded’, mind, what I mean is ‘stiffer’. The dampers are still adaptive, so you do get some say in how rigid they are. The chassis, like the steering and the engine/transmission response, can be put in Comfort, Sport or Sport+ - individually, or together, as you prefer.

For those of you keen to keep the M6 standard, you won't be disappointed with the 552bhp it produces, not to mention its extensive equipment list. There is double-wishbone suspension at the front, 19in alloy wheels, an M-Performance aerodynamically tuned bodykit, a quad-pipe exhaust system and plenty of M6 designation as standard on the outside. Inside, there is a Merino leather upholstery, electrically adjustable front sports seats, a wifi hotspot, and a Harman and Kardon stereo system, while like the rest of the BMW range, the M6 gets iDrive with sat nav, DAB, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and the addition of a 10.2in screen.

Unleashing the BMW M6 on the asphalt

Here we took on the M6 Competition Package and anyway you set it up, it’s an agreeable car. Slip the settings into their softest ones and it does a passable impression of a GT car. And although there’s always an underlying firmness to it – a result, you suspect, of the pack’s unique 20in rims and some of the limitations of this platform, which have long prevented the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series from being all they might be – that’s not always a bad thing here.

Unlike other cars on this architecture the M6 doesn’t have to ride particularly well, you see, and freed from those obligations it remains for my money the best car based on this platform. Body control, even in comfort, is tight, and if you flick the settings further, that only becomes more impressive. Sure, the ride goes from firm to fidgety, but it’s only too harsh on poor roads.

What is harder to find is a road that’s big enough. Quite often we drive a car overseas and have to reserve final judgement until we come to the UK. With the M6, almost the reverse is true. You’d want a derestricted autobahn to get the best out of this, performance is so mighty.

If you’re in the market for an M6, should you pay the extra for the Competition Package? Sure. It costs £7300 more than standard, but if you were going to spend more than £90,000 on a 6 Series anyway, I suspect that’s the least of your troubles.

You can have the package on M6 Gran Coupé and Convertible models too, and although I’m not sure why you’d want it on the latter, I’d probably tick the box on a coupé. It takes an already impressive machine and makes it keener in the areas that count.